Taken From Me
by BLUEanimeGIRL025
Summary: A sad NejiHina oneshot. Yes, I do in fact realize that Neji and Hinata are related, and if you don't like Hyuugacest then I suggest you turn around, cuz this story's not for you. kthnx :p


_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Naruto_

_**A/N: **__A simple lil story while I wait to get over a tiny bit of writers block with one of my others_

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.~~~.

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_It was two in the morning, and his head was in her lap again. She toyed with his hair while he toyed with her fingers. She kissed his forehead gently, right on the place where the curse mark was, and he smiled up at her. It was really too bad that the two of them could not make their relationship public, because it was really quite pleasant to be with one another like this, and every passing glance at a couple on the street made them both a little jealous. How lucky did that couple know they were, having the ability to walk down the street hand-in-hand? While simple things like that weren't possible for Neji and Hinata...._

_"You're leaving in a couple of hours," Neji reminded her, tilting his head back to look at her face. _

_Hinata's eyes became sad. "I don't want to talk about that."_

_  
He didn't either, to tell the truth - he didn't even want to think about Hinata leaving, at least not until she was actually gone - but Hinata needed sleep if she was to do well on her mission tomorrow._

_"I know what you're thinking," she whispered. "I'll be fine."_

But that had been a long time ago, and by the time all the dramatics had finally ended, neither of them had been "fine" at all. And so it was with a heavy sigh that Neji sat and contemplated the last night that he had been able to share with his cousin. She'd gone on her mission, and come back, safely and soundly and happily. They'd missed one another, but they'd been careful. They'd always been so careful.

But Hiashi, Hinata's father, was even more careful than they.

Hanabi, her father's little _spy_, was the first to have suspected something. A passing glance between Neji and Hinata had never been seen as very significant in the eyes of their family members, but Hanabi had seen what the others hadn't. She'd somehow recognized Neji and Hinata's feelings for one another... even to the very day, Neji still didn't know how she'd done it. But she'd informed her (Hinata's) father of the things she had thought she was seeing, and together they'd planned. They had known that if there really were something going on between Hinata and her cousin, the two of them would want to see one another again as soon as she was returned from her mission.

_"Welcome back, cousin," Neji said. He was leaning against the wall that lead into the area where the Hyuga all lived. That was all he said to her, and she didn't reply as she walked past him. She glanced at him, a simple glance, but he knew what it meant. As soon as she was gone, he smiled to himself._

Hiashi had had people trail Hinata, and that night as she sneaked out of her house to meet Neji again, they waited in the shadows, silent, until they could catch the two of them in the act of actually being together.

_"Hinata," Neji breathed in relief when finally she entered the little clearing where they always met. He'd been pacing impatiently, waiting in the silence of the night for her. She ran into his arms. "Neji," she sighed contentedly, her head against his chest._

_And for one short lived moment, everything was alright again._

_Then Hanabi stepped out of the trees. "You disgust me," the girl spat, and behind her appeared Hiashi himself, Hinata's father. Neji watched as Hinata's expression changed from what was pure happiness, to disbelief, and then horror. Eyes wide, she was snatched away from him._

Neji stared into the starry sky above him, but had to admit to himself that he hardly found nights like this pleasurable now. He could no longer enjoy the beauty of any scenery, not when he could not have the one he loved.

There was a small sound in the courtyard below, and Neji sat up from where he lay upon the rooftop of his home. Hinata herself was making her way silently into the night - off to see Naruto again, he knew, and his heart gave a painful lurch.

Just before Hinata disappeared, she looked over her shoulder, directly at him, and the look on her face repeated the sorrow he had seen brought out in her eyes that night so very long ago. In his head, he could hear the echo of her voice, screaming....

_"Nooooo!!!" she cried in anguish. "No! Neji!"_

...They couldn't be together after that. Their love had had a death warrant, and now they were forced to play pretend with other people, while their hearts dangled in useless pieces at their feet.

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.~~~.

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End file.
